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File: 2014-04-12.mp3
Topics for Apr 12, 2014: - Replay of interview with Jane Wade about the history, certification processes and benefits of organic food. Topics:
- History of organic food regulations in the United States
- The "links in a chain" of regulations from the origin of the seed through farmers and processors
- The "organic system plan" customizes the regulations and inspections for individual organic farmers
- Isolation between organic foods and non-organic is monitored at all steps from growing to processing and distribution
- Organic products cannot be contain GMO or be irradiated
- All ingredients from all over the world have to meet the same standards to be accepted as US organic
- California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) covers all of North America and originated by merging standards from many separate organic certifiers
- The USDA regulates the organic certifying organizations with yearly audits
- The organizational structure of the national standards board and the politics of big agribusiness
- The origins of organic farming in the 1970's and the difficult process of setting national standards
- Reasons for organic farming, from not eating pesticides to soil health, like all farming was a few generations ago
- Traceability of farming details is important for food safety
- The US farm bill needs to support small organic farming
- Environmental advantages to reducing pesticides and the important issue of loosing bees for pollination
- Organic is healthier because plants resist bugs using chemicals defense such as vitamins and antioxidants that are good for us
- Explaining why organic food cost more and the advantages of farmers' markets and sourcing locally
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